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NGOs resume hunt for stray dogs

TIGHTENING THE NOOSE: Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike resumed its campaign against stray dogs in the city on Wednesday. Photo: K. Gopinathan

Staff Reporter

BANGALORE: The controversial animal birth control (ABC) programme, which had ground to a halt since the fatal mauling of five-year-old Manjunath by a pack of stray dogs in C.V. Raman Nagar in March, has resumed in the city.

The four non-governmental organisations (NGOs) carrying out the programme resumed their functioning four days ago.

Incidentally, a team of experts led by M.K. Sudarshan of the Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences, in its audit report, had severely criticised the NGOs and the BBMP for not conducting the programme in a scientific manner and for not maintaining proper records.

Joint Commissioner (Health) B.V. Kulkarni told The Hindu on Wednesday that the NGOs started work because the row over the delay in payment had been resolved. "We are in the process of implementing the recommendations made by Dr. Sudarshan. But the NGOs resumed work four days ago and this is not in the wake of the ABC audit report," he said. On Wednesday, dog-catching squads were seen rounding up strays in and around Lalbagh, Chandra Layout and several other areas. Mr. Kulkarni added that the drive had started throughout the city.